Another gigantic secret we are going to teach you is the use of the multi-step process in direct response marketing.

Let me explain what the opposite is first, so you have a better idea what I am talking about when I describe how to use multi-step marketing.

For example, single-step marketing could be defined as sending out a flyer in the neighbourhood, telling people about a neighbour’s home that has just been sold by you … or as running a one-time ad in a local paper advertising an investment offering you have … or as running an ad in the paper that says “Call me before you redecorate (or relandscape)!” and so forth. In other words, anything where you do a single step in the hope that you will get responses.

Now, true – you may run the same ad more than one time in your paper over a period of a few months and you may send out farming flyers or postcards to people over a period of time. But that is not what we are talking about here, because each of those particular efforts is really a single-step process. You send out the piece, and prospects are supposed to call.

Now, while this seems easy and logical, it also has been proven over time to just not work. In fact, if any of this stuff did work, we wouldn’t be here, and you would be reading this right now.

The real secret to direct response marketing is to use little, bite-sized chunks for people so that they are responding to what is easy and non threatening … allowing them to take little steps one at a time.

For example, let’s say you run an ad that says,

When you run that ad in the paper, what is the purpose of that ad? Is the purpose of that ad to sell a product? Is the purpose of that ad to secure an appointment for a presentation? No – the purpose of that ad is one thing only – to get people to call your #1300 and listen to the recorded message!

In fact, we should take it back a step further. The purpose of the headline on the ad is to get somebody’s attention and cause them to stop going through their publication.

The purpose of the headline is not to sell or solve anything. The headline, then, has a single purpose. The headline’s function is to get people to read the copy of your ad. The copy is, then, the next step, keeping people interested enough to follow through and call the #1300.

Now when prospects call the #1300 and listen to the message, what’s the purpose there? Is the purpose of the message to make a sale or get a client? No – again, the purpose of the message is only to get people to leave their names and addresses.

Once prospects leave their names and address, and we get their phone number through the Caller ID, what is the purpose of the follow-up that we do not he phone and the report?

Is it to sell? Is it to get prospects to hire you? No – the purpose of the report going out is to get people familiar with you and your company and to get them familiar with what you have to offer, and to answer the questions they have.

Once they’ve gotten the report, you move into the multi-step sequence and follow-up.

See, the real secret of direct response marketing is, after you’ve gotten somebody’s interest, you must try not to make them do any more than they are comfortable with doing at any particular step. To make all the steps combined work up to the sale of products and services.

But each individual step is small and doesn’t ask people to do more than ease them into the next step.

The purpose of each individual step is to do only what it is supposed to do. The purpose of the recorded message is not to make a sale; again it is to get a prospect to leave his or her name and address.

We see clients repeatedly doing things like using the recorded message to talk about their company, and how big they are, and how many clients and customers they have and so forth. Things that are totally inappropriate for that step.

The only purpose of the recorded message is to get prospects to leave a name and address or details. You’re not trying to sell them or convince them of anything. We see people running seminars, for example, and their recorded message talks about how great they are and how big they are etc, etc … all these things that are of no interest to the prospects whatsoever!

They are asking the prospects to do way too much. (In fact, for seminars, we recommend only doing an ad that offers a FREE report. The FREE report then offers the seminar to make the steps more non-threatening and easier for people to digest.)

The bottom line is that people are afraid and confused. The old single-step marketing “shove it in their face” approach, doesn’t work. For the present and the future to get people interested and wanting to do business with you, you have to take it slow and easy! You can’t expect your marketing to do things that it is not capable of doing.

If you think you need single-step marketing to create sales instantly, don’t bother. Please don’t forget this lesson about the multi-step approach, and please don’t forget this concept of asking each step to do only what it is supposed to do!

You should not try to incorporate multiple steps into a single step! You don’t want to mix up your product presentation stuff into your copy in the ads, for example. That is not the time or the place to bring that up.

If you follow this process you will see your leads go up and you will see your business go up. But even more important, if you follow this process the pressure will be off! There will be no more feeling like you have to close, or that you have to make a certain step do multiple things. It doesn’t work anyway, so why put yourself under all that pressure?

As a recap – let’s break the Marketing Magic system down into the steps a prospect would go through:

Step 1 – See a headline in one of the publications that they are interested in

Step 2 – They stop and read the ad, either partially or entirely

Step 3 – The were encouraged to pick up the phone and dial #1300 to listen to the message

Step 4 – They listen to the message and leave their details

Step 5 – They receive a long form report in the mail/email

Step 6 – The headline of the report is supposed to get their interest, stop and make them want to read it

Step 7 – They read the copy of the report

Step 8 – They call your office

Step 9 – They might receive another report

Step 10 – They might receive a third report

Step 11 – They might receive postcard #1 – and so on

Your prospects take the steps that you want them to.

You see, if you follow the system, and do the right step in the right sequence … you make it easy and non-threatening for people!

They don’t feel threatened and there is no sales pressure. Your business will change in many dramatic ways. The pressure will be off you!

And once the pressure is off, your life will be something that you could only imagine in your dreams. So stick to this concept and feel the difference in your attitude and your responses – immediately!

There are many techniques in most industries that have nothing to do with just typically selling products/services, etc. as we’re taught from a traditional standpoint.

There are countless numbers of books, tapes and seminars that teach you how to use these specific techniques, and I’m not going to get into great detail about those in this section. What I merely want to cover is the concept of using and knowing them in ways to become a consultant or advisor to people, so you’re able to make money in all kinds of markets and situations – without being dependent on just traditional ways of selling. Read More

Now is the time to take a very detailed walk through of the entire psychology of what we are doing and why we are doing things the way we do.

Let’s start with the entire basis for marketing in the first place. In other words, what are we trying to accomplish? (I know that sounds like a stupid question and you’re probably wondering if I’ve had a couple of quiet ones on the side or something!) Read More

This next topic, which is related to getting leads, involves the issue of working the hardest way possible versus the easiest way possible. What do I mean by that? And what does that have to do with getting leads?

Well, let’s back up a second, and talk about the silliest thing I see every day. What I’m referring to is that almost every business, markets exactly backwards, and then is surprised to learn that hardly anyone is responding!

I think that both appearing and being “Down To Earth” is a big factor in my success over the years.

What I mean by that phrase is that so many business owners give the clients/customers/patients an air of superiority. They make them feel that they are in a blessed position to be doing business with them. Read More